MY FRIEND THE GIANT SAGUARO

“Hi Mary,” called out my neighbor Roger Spencer, as he pulled up along side me in his golf cart, as I took my morning walk.
“Hi yourself,” I said.  “What’s up?”
“I’ve stopped to give you a little fatherly advice,” he said.
“Well, what the heck?” I said.  My kids are telling me it’s about time I take some advice from my elders, meaning they think I am the kid and they are the elder.  So, go ahead, shoot.”
“You know that giant Saguaro cactus at the end of Stockton and 56th street.  You walk by it every morning.  Well, I’d like to advise you to cut through the culdesac, and avoid that corner.  That old cactus dropped two arms a couple of years ago.  And last week it dropped two more.  Those arms probably weigh close to a ton.  And one more arm is just hanging on by a thread , so it could fall anytime when a good summer wind comes up.  I’d hate to see one fall on you.  It would surely kill you.”
“Wow.  I never thought about it,” I told him.  “I will definitely take your advice and avoid that corner.  Thanks.”
And then I got to thinking about those giant sized wonders.  The Sonora Museum had very interesting things to tell me about them.

The giant Saguaro is an arborescent tree like cactus.  It can grow to be 40 to 60 feet tall.  It is one of the defining plants of the Sonora Desert.  They develop branches or arms, as they age, although, some never grow arms.  The arms generally bend upward, and can number as many as 25.
Saguaros are covered with a protective spine, with white flowers in the late Spring, and fruit in the summer. The flowers bloom at the very top of the cactus, looking for all the world like a man’s top-hat.
Saguaros are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert.  Most important factors for growth are water and temperature.  If the elevation is too high, the cold weather and frost can kill it.  Although the Sonoran Desert experiences both winter and summer rains, it is thought that it’s moisture is obtained during the summer rain season.
You find this cactus in southern Arizona, and western Sonora Mexico.  A few stray plants can also be found in southern California.
Arizone has strict regulations about the harvesting, collecting or destruction of the species.
With the right growing conditions it is estimated that Saguaros can live to be 150 to 200 years old.  Very slow about growing, a 10 year old plant might be only 1.5 inches tall.  Full growth can be between 3,200 to 4,800 pounds.  It is the largest cactus in the United States.
I for one will respect the old fellow from now on, and stay clear of any precarious branches.